The 10th-seeded USC Trojans (22-10) and No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (19-12) are lined up for a Friday matinee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The East Region tilt at Nationwide Arena in Columbus will tip off at 12:15 p.m. ET (CBS). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the USC vs. Michigan State odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
USC heads into the tournament after finishing tied with the 2nd best record in the Pac-12 regular-season (14-6) and then faltering in the 2nd round of the Pac-12 Tournament. The Trojans have had an uneven 2nd half to the season, but they are quite good at defending shots in the paint and from midrange spots inside the arc.
Michigan State was also ousted from its conference tournament opener last week. The Spartans went just 7-8 since winning 7 straight from Dec. 7-Jan. 10, but that stretch has included wins over tournament teams Indiana, Iowa, and Maryland.
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